


The Slytherin Alumni Party

by TheSnapeWeCanDreamOf (TheGuardian219)



Series: Mug!Verse AU [3]
Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Gen, Good Slytherins, Headmistress Minerva McGonagall, Post-Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Protective Slytherins, Severus Snape Has a Heart, Slytherins Being Slytherins, a little ooc, manipulation?, maybe? - Freeform, mug!verse, trying for humor
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-08
Updated: 2018-07-08
Packaged: 2019-06-07 05:15:05
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,889
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15211994
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheGuardian219/pseuds/TheSnapeWeCanDreamOf
Summary: The Slytherin Alumni decided to hold their annual reunion party earlier and invite even the students. The aurors won't allow them unless they had someone known in the light to supervise their event. Minerva wasn't quite sure why she was invited but surely observing the snakes would help her bridge the gap formed by two wars and centuries of belief.





	The Slytherin Alumni Party

**Author's Note:**

> This came out of the blue. I was in the mood for some light-angst but I didn't think it hit the target. I'm quite happy with the ending though, please review on what you think. Criticism is welcomed.

Hogwarts was covered in holiday decorations, everyone was high on happiness and mischief. The stress of the previous years melted away after the dust has cleared away around the body of Voldemort, a hint of sadness could be felt as they remembered those that are not there anymore though.

Minerva glanced at the Slytherin table with a frown. They have so many empty spaces, her eyes unconsciously moved beside her on her right,  a habit she thought she’d broken after Albus’ death. It was such a festive season and she hated her drifting thoughts. She’d spend many a night in her office, wondering how  _ he  _ made it as Headmaster, the pressure must have been unbearable.

Her goal of overcoming the prejudice she held on Slytherin-carefully cultivated during the  _ reign of terror _ \- and forming a bridge connecting the isolated house from the other houses was pitiful. She’d tried to get over it, really she did. But after the heinous act committed on the astronomy tower and then the terrible deeds that  _ he  _ allowed under his rule-- Minerva found herself stuck with no way of moving forward.

She nodded amiably on the passing Hufflepuffs, the decorations seemed to be going well, the students are enjoying themselves. She figured she could finish some paperwork before the feast began. She was almost to her office when she was stopped by a voice that made her stop.

“Professor.” Draco Malfoy stood a few paces from her, Blaise Zabini by his side, looking casually somewhere else.

“Mr. Malfoy?” She beckoned the lads closer, taking note of how hard they tried to look calm.

Draco took a calming breath. “You see, professor,” The young man seemed so unsure Minera almost felt pity. She has seen Malfoy look more dignified in front of his classmates after the battle, whispers gathering everywhere he went. 

“There’s a slytherin alumni party being planned just after christmas.” She raised her brow, she’s never heard of such a thing before. “After  _ his  _ defeat, people are always whispering about slytherins. Someone had the idea of holding it earlier, instead of being in the summer next year. They said it would help...us,.” He paused, looking for the right words, “All the slytherins having a hard time, that is.” He elaborated. Minerva felt a stab of guilt as she remembered the near empty tables of the proud house.

“And what do you seek to gain by informing me of this event?”

Zabini stepped forward, getting sick of beating around the bush, “The aurors and a few others won’t be too happy with us meeting together.” He scoffed and Minerva understood where they were coming from. It still didn’t concern her though, she said as much to the boys.

“Headmistress, we don’t want to be arrested for having a party together, the aurors gave the okay given we have a  _ good person  _ they deemed acceptable to  _ supervise  _ our get together. We’ve chosen you.” Zabini said, having finally lost his patience. Minerva nearly smiled as a memory resurfaced.

“Me? Surely you have thought of others?”

“Of course we did, professor. You just seem to meet the proper criteria. There were other people we thought of inviting but we weren’t sure how they’d be received.” Draco nudged Zabini a little. Draco then pulled something from his robes, an elegant looking invitation with an address and some instructions but nothing else. “We’ll give you time to think it over, please send an owl to this address as soon as you can. Have a good day, Professor.”

She watched them leave, lightly holding on to the card. The green text on the yellowed paper reminded her of a token from so long ago. She entered her office somberly and toyed with the card. Should she attend this gathering? Maybe this would help her understand the Slytherins more and thus help her build the bridge towards their acceptance from the others. 

She entered her office and her gaze drifted to Dumbledore’s portrait smiling merrily at her, just beside him was the dozing figure of the previous headmaster. He hasn’t woken since the day his portrait was demanded by Potter to be hung in the office, many had doubts concerning the legitimacy of the wizarding portrait, claiming it was a muggle one. Minerva hasn’t figured out what she would say once he woke up and, honestly speaking, she had been dreading having a talk with him.

“What is that you have there, Minerva?” Albus’ eyes darting to the card in her hand.

She thought for a moment. “Albus?” She asked.

“Yes, Minerva?”

“I have been invited in a Slytherin Alumni party.” Saying the words aloud did not help to dispel the surreality of the situation. “I see the ministry are still wary of them, troubling but expected.”

“Are you aware of such an event?” Her eyes were straying towards her former colleague.

“I have heard about it from time to time. Severus has shown some pride in being the cause of such wild retellings of detentions in the younger graduates.” His eyes drifting at the side of his frame where the other sat dozing. Minerva was not quite sure how the watercolour could capture the softening of the twinkling eyes. “But as I remember, they were usually in the summer.” He continued.

“I was informed that it would be open to all slytherins, something to boost their morale in face of You-Know-Who’s defeat.” She remarked.

“I sure hope you mean, in the face of the prejudice they now face from the majority of the wizarding world.” She felt shame creep up to her. She didn’t think about how it sounded but were she in the presence of the students--the effects would be disastrous.

“Now I realize I could have handled the house system more fairly during my time as headmaster, Minerva. Please do not repeat my mistakes. I am sure you are quite capable in forming a bridge towards the children.” His eyes twinkled and Minerva felt her heart lurch.

“He murdered you, Albus.” She whispered, her eyes fixed to her feet.

“He did not, I asked him to kill me. He raged and argued but he agreed in the end, it was the only way.” She refused to look at the portrait--The real Albus was dead and the portrait remained as a fraction of his personality. This wasn’t her actual colleague.

“The slytherins are quite the curious lot. They come off as intense and unapproachable, their disposition could use a little work. They come across as rude and villainous both because of Tom and their own beliefs...but Minerva?” He paused and the Headmistress cursed Albus and his machinations. “They are often painted as the ‘bad guys’ because of their determination to get things done. An admirable trait possessed by gryffindors, encouraged even, but when a slytherin exhibits said traits, they get shunned and labeled as rotten. I have wondered, in the past years, if sorting into slytherin is a self-fulfilling prophecy, that our own neglect causes those in the house to go dark.”

“Where are you going with this Albus, I have little patience to deal with your puzzles.”

“Nowhere my dear. It is simply food for thought. One canot bridge the gaps if one does not know where the bridge has to be.”

It should cause an outcry, a lion, the previous head of house of their rival mingling in the snake pit! And yet they chose her. She never asked what those criterias were and why she was chosen in the first place but-- It would be an opportunity to get to know her previous students once again. To understand how they acted outside the school. 

She could feel Albus’ twinkling eyes smile behind her as she owled the address. She could feel his hands on this but she can’t prove anything. Damn the old coot and his manipulations beyond the grave.

\--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

She had the sense to avoid red and gold, though her cheek made it hard to resist. Instead, she wore dark robes, it glinted green in the sunlight but she didn’t think they’d have a party in the open. It was at the back of her dresser and she sighed as she pulled it out. The elves were careful in cleaning the fine robe, and by the time they handed it back to her it smelled fresh and felt soft in her hands.

Mingling with former students weren’t nearly as exhausting as she thought it would be. There were some names missing and people were prone to looking at the side, a far-away gaze and sighing, before shaking themselves and returning to reality.

The purebloods who remained neutral but were quite...intense in their superiority back in school seemed to avoid her and she could have sworn a tray holding several glasses of wine was nearly knocked down in an effort to avoid her. She smirked to herself, children the lot of them. Was that the Malfoy’s hanging around in the corner?

“Once, I had to read a bedtime story to every first year--”

“I had to sing a lullaby to them!”

“Oh the poor children, I hope they weren’t deafened by your screeches.”

She had vaguely remembered Snape referring to silly punishments. Perhaps they really weren’t as wild as they thought.

“My mouth was washed by soap.”

“You deserved that, learned your lesson quick though didn’t you, saying that word in Snape’s presence no less?”

“Oh shut up.”

“The young ones never learn.”

She resumed her aimless wandering in the hall. It was charmed to be like a bigger version of the common room, with some minor changes she was informed. The window that beheld the lake was charmed to look like the hall was underwater, the fireplace was roaring. Everything had a tinge of green in it. And she thought the loud red of the Gryffindor Common Room screamed pride.

“He punished me for cheating in divination. Divination! He made me shovel dragon dung for cheating in bloody divination!”

“Yes, I had to do that once. That was for getting caught though...wait, what did he make you do for being caught?”

“I can answer that for you!”

“Shut up, we swore to never speak of that-”

“If you ask me, getting caught cheating is grounds enough for the dragon dung, cheating in divination though? This I have to hear!”

Much as Minerva wanted to gather what happened, they wove a spell to contain the conversation to themselves. Tears were nearly streaming from the men’s faces as they laughed. It was rather odd, seeing her formal students acting like children again, being relaxed and content in eachothers company in their old common room. They retained the proud dignity they all showed in Hogwarts but it seemed more...natural, to her. 

“We had the house cup for seven consecutive years!”

“I heard McGonagall couldn’t look Snape in the eye for weeks after we bested the Gryffindors in quidditch!”

“I wouldn’t worry so much about your OWL scores, you’re still a second year!”

The current students stared in fascination and listened intently at the stories being told by the alumni, their eyes filled once again with wonder and excitement. Minerva tightened her grip on her wine glass. She was finding it hard to reconcile her image to what was being presented in front of her eyes. The memories of underground quidditch bets and over the top boasting seared her mind.

Could this be a ruse to help the slytherins loosen the Ministry’s grasp on them? Was she being played? 

Were the children being used as props to help further the goal of the alumni? Being suspicious of Slytherins weren’t helping anyone, but anyone would be a fool if they didn’t have some suspicion concerning the slytherins. More information was needed.

“Was it true, what they said about the headmaster?” A second year asked the alumni and Minerva paused.

“What did they say?”

“That he was cruel, that he didn’t allow muggleborns to enter the school during his term.”

“I suppose it is--now don’t get upset young lady-- He was playing a spy, remember? He had death eaters with him at all times and they were torturing the poor muggleborns that were enrolled previously. See, not allowing those muggleborn to enter the castle made them safer.”

“It was a difficult year, l bet. But you never got to know him as a head of house. He was still playing a role mind you-”

“Had to keep the children of death eaters unsuspicious and all-”

“He was a right bastard on the best days, but he was the greatest head of house we could have asked for.”

Minerva resumed walking.

Her eyes were scanning the crowd, taking in the dizzying amount of bustling people both young and old. Seeing former and current students was confusing, watching them merge caused quite a disruption in her orderly mind that made her uncomfortable. 

“Slughorn helped me into the program, he’s been a great help.”

“You’ve been a great help to him too, I see.”

“Is it that bad when you both know you’re using each other?”

“I thought all your connections came from being pure-bloods.”

“Oh please, having friends in high places is good and all but having friends  _ everywhere  _ is key.”

“Very hufflepuff. Is this why you invited us students to your gathering?”

Minerva paused. Was that the reason, she wondered as well.

“We’re slytherins, sweetheart, what do you think?”

The young student gave a bashful smile and Minerva was left baffled yet again. Surely there was some code they were speaking she was made unaware of. She wouldn’t be surprised if Severus thought his snakes some hidden communication. Severus.

“Sickle for your thoughts, professor?” Someone clanked their glass with hers and she was broken from her thoughts. 

“Matthias Smith.” That mischievous smile could never be anyone else’s. The Slytherin trouble-maker that caused many headaches but served so little detention. By other professors only though,, she had a feeling his former head gave him quite the punishment for being caught if the stories she’s been hearing were anything of value. 

“I’ve been looking for you for quite some time now, professor. It’s quite rude from our house to not provide you some escort here in the snake pit.” He looked around the illusion of their common room. “Brings back memories, I tell you. Oh the fun I’ve had.” His eyes glazed for a few seconds before rekindling in the same way it did back in Hogwarts when she couldn’t punish him due to lack of evidence when everyone knew he was responsible for the latest trouble.

“Fancy a tour, professor? I’m sure the snakes are quite wary of a lion, no matter their number.” Minerva cocked her head, what could possibly go wrong? “By all means, Mr. Smith. Parade the lioness among all of your snake friends.” He mocked a bow and guided her. Where she was aimlessly stalking the hall earlier, her former student seemed to have a map traced to who they were going to talk to and what they were going to discuss. Recalling all her former students, their accomplishments and troubles helped Minerva unwind. Laughing at their stories, embarrassing proud graduates as she reminded  them of their mischief and troubles in her classes in front of the younger years, it helped her forget. 

She had an  _ interesting  _  conversation with the Malfoys. It was stilted and awkward, Malfoy senior seemed much more reserved in her presence. He would stiffen ever so slightly when Smith would casually say Snape’s name.

They retreated from socializing and stopped by the charmed window, having their wines re-filled and seeking some quiet after all the interaction.

“You haven’t asked the question.” Smith said as he fixed his gaze to the window.

“What do you mean?”

“Everyone is jittery, they’ve been avoiding you from the start. Some of the students aren’t quite sure what to feel after you locked them in the dungeons for the battle. I get it, I do professor. You were thinking that they’d probably fight against friends and family and that’s painful. But I think you know that some part of you was afraid they’d join the other side and betray your side. That’s what they’re thinking.” Matthias sipped some wine before looking at her. The seriousness in his face didn’t fit with his usual personality and McGonagall wondered just how many layers the Slytherins put on everyday.

“Professor Snape organized this  _ Alumni Gathering  _ years before I was sorted. I’ve been informed it was something to replace the Slug Club Parties but it was solely for Slytherins. The guest list was something they couldn’t figure out at first. The first few years were...interesting, to say the least. There were many arguments and curses flying, you couldn’t go two steps without hearing insults. With some work and time the rules of the common room has been implemented in the gatherings, hence why we see it appropriate to celebrate in a charmed hall. It feels just like home” His arms flew to his side as if to emphasize his point. The common room rules?

“The common room rules?” She asked. Matthias blinked before he smacked his palm to his face. “Right, right.  _ Slytherin  _ common room rules, right.” He seemed to weigh his next decision carefully and Minerva had her curiosity poking its head out. 

“We’ve invited you in our cozy meetings, might as well show it to you as well.” Matthias escorted her to a corner which held a sign with a familiar handwriting. 

“Your house is your family.” She whispered as she read the first rule. 

“The professor was quite firm in showing house unity. He said that the whole school has been against us the moment we were sorted and adorned the green and silver of Slytherin. Any conflict will be resolved in the common room, and we will help our housemates regardless of previous misdeeds against us when they need our help when some other house decided to pick on them.” Matthias laid a hand on the charmed sign, stroking the surface as if it was a beloved quidditch poster. “Not every rule was followed and we did suffer his displeasure. Quite often, if I may add.” He gave a distracted grin at her. “He wasn’t all that bad, not really.” He mumbled mostly to himself. 

Minerva leveled her gaze at him, “Why did you invite  _ me  _ Smith, surely there are other candidates?” She asked. Curiosity killed the cat as it goes.

“I knew you’d ask eventually.” She steadied her gaze on him as he grinned victoriously at her before coughing. “We might as well aim high in the food chain, you’re the headmistress now...rumor also has it that you’ve been trying to reach out to the slytherins but are unsure to how to proceed. We saw this as an opportunity, professor. Everything’s been planned, you may now see everything as a ploy to have you give a good report for the ministry but-” Smith stopped, gazing at the fake common room and its inhabitants, “The Alumni have been briefed to keep the subjects light, no direct mentioning any of You-Know-Who’s doings, like a regular gathering. It was always meant to be as somewhere slytherins could hang out and meet each other for old times sake without any pressure. The students have been brought in to have a breath of fresh air with slytherins who did not support the maniac. They needed the reassurance that despite what people think now, slytherins are capable of good and a room of successful light slytherins is enough proof of that for the moment.” It was more or less what Draco Malfoy and Blaise Zabini told her outside of her office. She felt unsure on how to proceed.

“When did you became so mature, Mr. Smith?” She asked as she processed his words.

“It took a lot of detention with Snape and talks with my mates, but I got there eventually professor.” He beamed.

She had been used somewhat. Having witnessed the slytherins being humans, shedding their skins and just being themselves among comrades helped her shed her own bias against this house. It was a sobering thought, that Slytherins are more than the bigots that once represented them as a whole. They have reached out to her, perhaps it was time she reached out to them with more enthusiasm and conviction. Borrow ore of the Gryffindor courage she boasts of her house.

“There was another reason we wanted to have this gathering now.” He paused, his gaze avoiding hers. “ We were afraid the younger ones would forget the professor.” She glanced questioningly at the man before her. “His little reign of terror would be imprinted on those that were there that year. We wanted to honor his memory and make sure that they knew just how human he was. He was a bastard most of the time, everyone knew that, but he did care. Probably more than most would know.” He was seeing something from the past and Minerva finally allowed herself to remember Severus. Severus before all the mess of spying took its toll. Before he killed Albus. Hearing snippets of the slytherin life, advice on academics, clues on how to exploit loopholes in quidditch and tips on sneaking zonko products past Filch, it all made them so real and complex. Giving points to Slytherins wouldn’t fix decades of mistrust and bias.How could she even begin to form a good rapport with the current students? She couldn’t even think of Snape for more than a few minutes before her emotions take over.

“It must be hard, professor.” Smith said as he observed her confused face. “I could understand some of your resentment with the professor. And yet here you are trying your best to understand our house and our values. They say Slughorn was the picture of Slytherin, cunning, resourceful, ambitious and with a healthy dose of self-preservation. But I think Professor Snape embodied some of the aspects of Slytherin few people get to see. The extreme loyalty to whoever holds our trust and respect, the cleverness of someone determined to do whatever it takes to accomplish their goals, and courage often the cause of reckless behaviour to protect everyone we consider worthy of our protection. We don’t act halfway professor, we love fiercely and we act firmly.” His eyes blazed and his jaw was firm.

“I gather this isn’t just a gathering.” she said after a moment.

“Of course not professor.” He replied, not even bothering to lie. “We’re the model of efficiency.” He grinned, once again dispelling the heaviness in the air.

This is part of their mourning of their beloved head. A place to celebrate his life and accomplishments without anyone hissing the word traitor or overly praising the spy of the light. Severus would scoff at the almost excessive praises of those who couldn’t care less about him two years ago. This informal gathering of his former students who told tales of their misadventures would annoy him in the surface but he would prefer it over the gushings of everyone else. She would bet good money that he’d spin on his grave everytime a gryffindor say that he died a gryffindors death. It was as good as an insult to his slytherin pride. 

“Why do you value him so much as a head of house? What did he do to get your respect?”

“It varies from person to person, professor. Fear is a good motive for many, others say it’s his favoritism towards us outside of the common room, I call them liars those favoritisms have their price after all.” He shook his head before continuing, “ I like his snark to be honest. I don’t fool myself into thinking that he has a secret soft side under all the robes and masks he wears but something about how he talks and communicates with us just..it just makes me feel a lot safer. He’d talk about how we’re all dunderheads but he’d make sure we understand what we did wrong. The older ones told us how they rallied against him during his first years teaching but he fought back twice as hard. His punishments have ulterior motives, sometimes ironic, but they’d never fail to strike home what we did wrong.” He gave a small grin at her, “Don’t get me wrong, professor, he had his moments when half of the snakes hated his guts-and that was not related to his being a spy- but he believed in our house when no one else will and he did his best. He had my respect as a student because of his honesty and support.”

Matthias rubbed his neck. “Sorry, I’ve been blabbering again.”

He had a right to babble on, she was supposed to be casual observer, listening but not speaking. This was their event, their time to mourn the death of people they valued, the same people, she thought sadly, that others were either ignoring or rejoicing their deaths. Reduced to a number instead of a person who once had friends and families. 

While she didn’t fool herself into thinking that there were irredeemable people in the war, there were still some who were forced, who didn’t know where else to go. War isn’t black and white.

“This is your gathering Mr. Smith, I do believe that learning everything I could is part of what the ministry wanted in the first place so your babbling has been helping greatly.” She said in a light tone. She wouldn’t mind hearing more stories of the slytherins, she said as such to her companion.

“We don’t really know much on what was happening in Hogwarts after we graduated, every year has their secrets and all,” He grinned bashfully.  “And the gathering is winding down, here.” He handed her a plain white mug filled with hot chocolate that’s being distributed to everyone. “It has some sobering potion in it. Can’t have the headmistress wandering the halls tipsy now.” 

His jovial mood contrasted her current one, the scene was oddly reminiscent of a memory so long ago. “Don’t worry professor, it’s not spelled or anything.” He said, clinking his green mug against her. 

She sighed. It has been a long day, she was quite surprised that she wished it could be longer. She wanted to hear more stories and rumors the slytherins are circulating. It felt very light and happy, very different from the air they present themselves in back in hogwarts.

“Mr. Smith?” She asked as the scent of the chocolate gave her a warm and cozy feeling.

“Yes, professor?”

“Perhaps you and your friends could help me with reaching out to the current students in slytherin.”

“We’d be delighted to, headmistress.” He had a curious look in his eyes and he looked at her as she took a sip.

“The professor was right.” He remarked, mischief once again coursing through his veins.

“What was he right about?” She asked as she wondered if they did something to the mug of chocolate in her hands. She watched as a distracted glint enter his eyes.

“You should start a theatre club, professor, the slytherins would all be a shoe-in. The synchronization of the gasps was phenomenal but the comedic timing of the shrieks! Merlin, they were lucky Snape was in a good mood.” He shook his head, not realizing he was talking out loud. 

“What was Severus right about, Mr. Smith?” She asked once more with a hint of impatience.

“A lot of things professor, but this time; it's about you. Now, I’ve been assigned with babysitting duty-- making sure the students get home earlier than the adults-- I’ll see you before you leave!” He kept staring at her mug before smirking at her. “You can keep the mug, professor!” He shouted over his shoulder before disappearing in the crowd.

Surely they wouldn’t risk drugging her. Everything was going smoothly after all. She had a lot to think about. This whole party was more than a reunion, she wasn’t quite sure what was manipulation and genuine humanity. The hall had an atmosphere of whimsical deception and crushing reality.  The duality had her head spinning and she wondered how she would be able to pull of her latest mission. Bias it may be, but the experience she had within these halls proved that , maybe the Slytherins weren’t the bad house they painted them to be.

She continued to finish her hot chocolate as she watched the antics of the younger students when she noticed something on the bottom of her mug. No. Not again.

She levelled it in front of her, she didn’t actually see what was written only that there  _ was  _ something written on the bottom of her mug. At least he didn’t lie, it wasn’t spelled to magically appear after finishing her drink, she was quite sure the words remained  _ inside  _ the mug instead of displaying it for the world to see.

Well, she might as well find out what it was. She finished it with one quick swig and peered curiously at the bottom. The green text that greeted her sent both a pang and warmth in her heart. She could almost hear the low drawl of his voice.

_ “Gryffindors aren’t so bad.” _

**Author's Note:**

> Now I'm sure you are all shaking your head that Severus would rather die than say those words, but in my defense, I said he was in a good mood. By a good mood, I mean he was in his mischievous slightly sadistic mood and was tormenting his slytherins by teasing them. He may have said it in a teasing, sarcastic, way but anything he says could be interpreted in so many ways.  
> Anyway, I hope you liked it. I hope characters weren't too OOC.


End file.
